(MENAFN) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned what he described as “fake news” campaigns by Western media, alleging that such reports are intended to sabotage an upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Reports surfaced on Tuesday claiming, based on unnamed White House sources, that preparations for the summit in Budapest had been placed “on hold.”

In response, Szijjarto posted on X, saying that ever since the meeting was announced after a recent phone conversation between Putin and Trump, “it was obvious that many would do everything possible to stop it from happening.” He continued, “The pro-war political elite and their media always behave this way before events that could prove decisive between war and peace.”

The minister emphasized that similar disinformation efforts would likely continue ahead of the meeting. “Until the summit actually takes place, expect a wave of leaks, fake news, and statements claiming that it will not happen,” Szijjarto warned.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also dismissed the reports as “infodumps,” describing them as attempts to obstruct diplomatic progress toward ending the conflict in Ukraine. “EU and NATO countries are seeking to torpedo everything,” he said.

While European Union officials have publicly expressed openness to another Putin-Trump meeting, reports suggest that behind closed doors, Brussels views such an event as a “political nightmare.” One unnamed EU diplomat was quoted as saying, “no one likes it,” adding that “we are all grinning through our teeth whilst saying this is fine.”

According to additional accounts, the talks in Budapest have been “canceled,” and a U.S. official has reportedly stated there are no current plans for a Putin-Trump summit “in the immediate future.”

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